Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Chili Beans (Slow Cooker)
I like to cook with dried beans, they are nutritious and versatile. This is the homemade version of canned Chili Beans, healthier and more nutritious. These can be served as a side, as a main, or as a base for chili. Takes some time but well worth it. I made these on 30 July 2016, very good! The recipe is a total rewrite to make into a slow cooker recipe. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry Pinto beans, (1 lb)
- 1 large onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup taco seasoning mix, (two 1.25 oz packets), Shortcut
- 1 can tomato paste, the small 170 gram can
- 4 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock for vegetarian
Instructions
- Pick through and discard irregular beans or stones. In 5 quart container, add dry beans and soak for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain beans, discard soaking liquid, rinse and drain beans.
- In your slow cooker add the chicken stock, or 4 cups of water and stir in the stock powder, add in the taco seasoning and whisk well. Add the tomato paste and whisk more so no lumps, then add the onion and garlic. Add the beans and give a quick stir. Add salt to taste. Cook on High setting for at least 8 hours up to 12 hours, depends on the age of the beans so you will need to check them (this is based on my slow cooker) and the beans will still have a bit of bite to them but are not mush either.
- Serve as a main dish as a soup with topping just like chili, such as grated Cheddar cheese, diced onions, and sour cream, with crackers or cornbread on the side. Serve as a side dish with Mexican dishes, burgers, pulled pork, or as a base for other recipes listed below.
Notes
A bag of 500 grams of beans will cost between 50 and 65 Baht. Make the stock from scratch or from stock base powder. For 10 cups of beans and sauce, this dish is well under $1 per person per serving.
Shortcut: Taco Seasoning.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- Mexican Casserole.
- Chili Cornbread Pie.
- Pinto Bean Chili, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Taco Soup.
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole.
Cheesy Sloppy Joe Burgers II
This a variant of Cheesy Sloppy Joe Burgers I and is worthy of a new recipe. I made this last night and it is delicious. Add mustard to a bun, add a scoop of this mix and top with a few pickle slices, and it tastes just like a cheese burger. The major departure from the first recipe is that you make the sausage as you cook the meat.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, OR minced pork, OR ground chicken, (1 lb)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 300 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (10 oz)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- olive oil, as needed
Instructions
- In a large pot heat a bit of olive oil then add the onion, when it starts to soften.
- Add the meat and all the spices, mix with a spatula to break up the meat and mix in the spices and onion. (I tripled the recipe, and used 2 lbs beef and 1 lb pork.)
- Cook the meat well until no longer pink. Drain well. Add the meat back to the pot. (I missed taking a photo of this and went right to adding the cheese.)
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer and add the cheese and mix well, mix often to prevent burning. When the cheese is melted and heated through, remove from heat.
- Serve on buns. some pickles and a squirt or two of mustard, and these are delicious!
Notes
The cheese alone is pricey at about 130 Baht/250 grams, ground beef will run about 75 Baht/500 grams, if using minced pork, that will cost about 60 Baht/500 grams, chicken even less. This is about $1.80 per person for 4 meals.
Adapted from a recipe courtesy of good friend, Mike Early.
United States.
United States.
Slow Cooker Spicy White Chicken Chili
Chili without tomatoes is a cousin to classic chili. Chicken and white beans make it "white chili," while cumin, pepper sauce, and cilantro give it the zip. The recipe called for canned beans and canned corn, I am revising this to stay with fresh or less processed. I made this yesterday, 13 Feb 2016, excellent! My remarks are in the comments section.
Ingredients
Chilli base
- 6 chicken thighs, skinless, excess fat removed
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
- 1 3/4 cups chicken stock, make from powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
- 2 ears white corn, boiled, and kernals cut off
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Beans
- 500 grams dried Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight, rinsed
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In your slow cooker, mix onion, garlic, broth, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper sauce. Add chicken. Cover; cook on Low setting 4 to 5 hours. (I used 4 large meaty thighs, this photo is when they went into the pot.)
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare your beans. Drain soaked beans and transfer to a large pot. Cover by 2 inches with cold water, add onion and bay leaves and bring to a boil; skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans, discard onions and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. (This photo is just when I turned on the heat, the onion will fall apart as it cooks, so no need to expend any time chopping it, just quartered is fine.)
- At the 4 hour mark, check on the chicken, if tender and cooked through, if done, go to the next step, if not cooked through, just keep cooking until about the 5 hour mark.
- Remove chicken from slow cooker using a slotted spatula. Use 2 forks to remove bones and shred chicken into pieces. (keep the bones for your dog.) Return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro. Add a tablespoon of cornstarch if you desire a thicker chili. Cover; cook on Low setting 15 to 20 minutes or until beans and corn are hot. (Photo is the cooked chicken at the 4 hour mark, tender and juicy.)
- Serve.
Notes
Chicken will cost about 65 Baht/Kilo for thighs, 56 Baht/Kilo for quarters. Go with quarters for a lower cost, use 4 thighs and 4 legs, or 6 thighs and save the legs for another recipe. Beans will run about 60 Baht for a 500 gram bag. About 140 Baht for the meat and beans. For 8 servings, cost would be 45 cents per serving, an excellent value meal.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
3-Ingredient Chicken Cacciatore
Simple and tasty sounding recipe. I made this yesterday and it is very good and simple, read my comment below. Photos are mine from preparation to plating. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs
- 1 large jar spaghetti/tomato sauce, OR make yourself from tomato paste and herbs, OR 2 cans of sauce
- 500 grams spiral pasta, OR any pasta of your choosing
Instructions
- Add chicken to the slow cooker pot, pour sauce over chicken, stir to coat all the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 4-5 hours until chicken is cooked through. Do not open the lid until 4 hours have passed, then check chicken. I added a diced green bell pepper as well.
- About 30 minutes before the chicken is done, cook your pasta, drain, place back in the pot you cooked them in and drizzle with some olive oil to prevent sticking. Photo shows cooked after 4 1/2 hours.
- To serve, plate up pasta, add a chicken thigh, and spoon some sauce over the chicken and pasta, feel free to sprinkle grated Parmesan on the top, I know I will. Serve with a vegetable for a complete meal.
Notes
For chicken, use thighs bone in and with skin (this adds flavor) or you can use boneless and skinless, totally up to you. You can also use a combination of legs and thighs cut from quarters (most cost effective way, do yourself a favor, buy quarters, use the thighs, save the legs for another recipe like a BBQ or for other family members). For 8 quarters, you may spend about 150 Baht, sauce in a can is about 40 Baht, but if you use paste and make yourself, considerably lower cost. About 230 Baht or about $1.30 per person if serving 6, or 90 cents per serving is serving 8. Make the sauce yourself and you can reduce the cost of the sauce by well over half.
Variants: Add any or all of chopped mushrooms, chopped onions, chopped bell peppers, herbs when you add the sauce to the slow cooker.
Shortcut: Tomato Sauce.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Basic BBQ Sauce
Easy to make sauce great for BBQs or using in other recipes that call for BBQ sauce. The yield from this recipe is about 2 cups. I made this on 14 Dec 2016, recipe modified slightly, my report below.
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1½ cups ketchup
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon Worcherstershire sauce
- 2½ tablespoons dry mustard
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons black pepper
- 2-4 dashes hot pepper sauce
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely mixed and smooth. This is the ingredients before I added the water.
- I was making BBQ Beans & Weenies, this photo just shows the sauce after it was cooked and refrigerated when I added it to the beans recipes.
- Pour into a pot and bring to a boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate overnight before use.
Notes
If using as a sauce say in a bean recipe, the sugar amount is spot on, if using for grilled anything, feel free to increase the sugar a bit. Keep in mind the sugar is what caramelizes and makes that gooey goodness on say BBQ Chicken. This is my Go-to Recipe now.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
- BBQ Chicken Pizza.
- BBQ Beans & Weenies, made it.
- Bock BBQ Bean Salad.
- Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin.
- Easy BBQ Beans.
- Cowboy Stew, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pork Ribs (Pressure Cooker), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Slow Cooker Little Smokies, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Big Mac Burgers
This is the home made version of the famous burger served all over the world. With this, you know what is in it, not the assembly line product that has an ingredient list longer than your arm. This a a double decker burger with a Big Mac sauce. I made these on 16 Feb 2017, very very good! I made the classic double decker for myself and just a jr Big Mac for my wife with just one burger. Highly recommended to make these with just one burger, much easier to handle. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2/3 cup mayo
- 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Burgers
- 500 grams ground beef, OR make from a shortcut
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 sesame seed buns, sliced into 3 pieces
Toppings
- 4 teaspoons onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups lettuce, shredded
- Cheddar cheese, use real cheese, not processed
- 8 slices dill pickles, OR make from a shortcut on this site
Instructions
- Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Refrigerate for a while is even better.
- Mix the salt and pepper into the beef, split the mixture into 4 parts and roll into balls. Flatten each ball and shape into a patty.
- Place patties into a non stick pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cook the patties for 3 minutes each side. Meanwhile, slice the burger buns into 3 parts and slightly toast them. (I do not mess around with burgers, I make thick large burgers.)
- To assemble, spread the sauce over the base and middle bun. Add onion and lettuce on both buns. On the bottom bun add cheese and one of the burger patties, on the middle bun add 4 pickle slices and burger patty. Lift the middle bun onto the top of the base and finally add the top of bun.
- To make a Jr. Big Mac, use only 1 burger and no middle bun. On the bottom bun add sauce, lettuce, onion, and cheese, and one of the burger patties, top that with 4-5 pickle slices, add sauce to the top bun and cover the top with that.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
- And the Jr. Big Mac.
Notes
Ground beef runs about 100 Baht/500 grams. For 2 servings, this is about $1.47 per serving. If you went the route with just 1 burger patty and made 4 Jr. Big Macs, you could stretch this to 4 servings at a cost of 74 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Dill Pickles, Best Hamburger Meat.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Eggs in a Basket
This is certainly nothing new, but this is a creative way to make eggs, and toast, at the same time. I thought this was a notable post just to post something a bit different. A number of years ago, my wife, I, and our daughter were in Pattaya on holiday from Japan (I worked in Japan). One morning when we got up, I asked my daughter if she wanted to go have breakfast with me, she said yes and away we went. We stopped at my favorite place opposite the beach and we were given menus. My daughter was about 6 years old at this point. I ordered my breakfast, and my daughter said she wanted Eggs in a Basket, they of course were not on the menu, the waitress was very nice and helpful and asked if something special was needed, I described Eggs in a Basket and away she went, big smile on my daughter's face. About 10 minutes later, Eggs in a Basket was placed in front of my daughter, she was happy to say the least!
Ingredients
- 2 slices bread, any kind you want, thick sliced is best
- 2 eggs
- butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan to medium low or medium heat. Add a bit of butter.
- Take the bread and using the open end of a drinking glass, cut a hole in the center of each slice of bread. When the butter is melted and hot, add each slice, and crack an egg into the hole in the bread, place the round bread pieces in the pan as well.
- When the bottom is golden brown, like a slice of toast, flip and cook for a few more minutes until golden brown as well.
- Serve with bacon or sausage.
Notes
No math needed here, under $1 per meal of two eggs, even with bacon or sausage. A simple breakfast does not have to be hard.
Variant: 1. Use an egg and milk mix like making French Toast, cut the circles out first, use the egg wash, and put into the pan then add the egg in the center, egg wash the circle and cook that as well.
Recipe I learned from my Mom and that I have been making for 25+ years.
Breakfast Sausage
Easy to make, and very good, I have made this on several occasions, I need to make this more often. Keep in mind, the longer you refrigerate this, up to 24 hours before cooking, the flavors will blend together better. Sage is the key ingredient in breakfast sausage.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo minced pork, OR you can use chicken, (2 lbs)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- pinch ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Add the pork and all the other ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Mix everything together, use your hands and mix well. Refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours to allow the spices to blend well. The 24 hours is highly recommended.
- I was going to stuff sheep casings to make links but could not find my small funnel, so I went with patties instead, and are equally as good. I made 8 patties, layered with parchment paper and froze this batch, simply take out the patties you wish to use the day before and thaw in the fridge overnight. (For patties I use a ½ cup measuring cup to measure and press in a 4¼ inch, 11 cm, patty press.)
- Fry in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side or until juices run clear.
- And in link form using cellulose casings. These casings will be removed after poaching.
Notes
Minced pork will run about 100 Baht/kilo, making this about 50 cents per person for 6 people, add some fresh homemade hash browns and a couple of eggs, you have a nice breakfast for under $1 per person.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Potato & Breakfast Sausage Skillet, mad it, GO-TO recipe.
- Breakfast Sausage Casserole.
- Sausage & Scrambled Egg Burritos.
- Country Gravy & Biscuits, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese Crescent Rolls, made it.
- Crustless Quiche, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- White Beans & Sausage, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole II.
- Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole I, made it, GO-TO recipe.
Quick Fridge Dill Pickles
This is a brine-based pickle. The reason why they are called quick is because they are ready in about 2 days. They get a bit better if you wait, but they are very pickle-ish then.
Ingredients
- 1 empty pint jar with lid, mason or reused olive or mayo jar is perfect
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 1 handful fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh peppercorns
- cucumbers, small and short
Instructions
- Fill the jar about halfway with very hot water and dissolve the salt in the water. Add part of the peppercorns, dill, and vinegar to the hot saltwater and stir.
- Cut cucumbers lengthwise if you're making pickle spears, obviously if you want make chipped pickles just cut normally. Squeeze as many cucumbers as you can into the jar. Allow for a bit more liquid to be added if the cucumbers are not completely submerged.
- Add the rest of the dill and peppercorns.
- Let it cool down to room temperature. Put the lid on a shake it. Make sure the cucumbers are not poking up above the water. If they are, open the jar and push them back down. I made a jar of chips and a jar of spears.
- Put in the fridge... done... it's just that easy.
Notes
Low cost. I normally make two pints at a time, one spears, one chips.
Variants: 1. Add a few chili peppers to spice it up. 2. Add a teaspoon of mustard seed. 3. Add a teaspoon of pickling spice mix you can find in the spice row of most grocery stores.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
- Chicken Olivye (Chicken Potato Salad), made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dill Pickle Dip, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Pickle Deviled Eggs, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Sardine Salad Sandwich, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Ham & Cheese Pasta Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Classic Tuna Salad Sandwiches, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dill Pickle Bacon Grilled Cheese, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dill Pickle Cream Cheese Sandwich, made it, GO-TO recipe.
- Dill Pickle Bread.
- Russian Beet Salad.
Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole I
This is another recipe where everything was processed, I changed it up here to reflect fresh ingredients. I made this on 29 Sep 2016 using diced ham in place of the bacon, and this is very good and highly recommended! Now since all slow cookers are different, this one you need to keep an eye on regarding the time then you can make adjustments based on your particular slow cooker. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4-6 potatoes, washed, skin on
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz)
- 500 grams cooked bacon, see Step 1, (1 lb)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup, milk
Instructions
- For any meat used, it needs to be cooked first. Good choices would be cubed chicken, minced Italian sausage, minced or sliced breakfast sausage, or diced ham, or any combination.
- For your hash browns, wash, peel if you desire, then grate. Take the shredded potatoes and rinse them in cold water, and really squeeze them to get the water out, do this 3-4 times until the water is clear, this removes the starch, then your potatoes are ready. This photo shows the potatoes, bell peppers, onion, and ham ready. Only about ¾ of the potatoes were used.
- Now with your slow cooker, add this in layers, in this order: half the hash browns, half the bacon or meat of your choice or omit, half the onions, half the bell pepper, and half the cheese.
- Now add the remaining hash browns, remaining bacon or meat of choice, remaining onion, remaining bell pepper, and the cheese. If you like cheese, you know what to do. When you get done adding everything, it will look like this.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, pour this over the contents of the slow cooker, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook on low for 8 hours. IF YOU HAVE NOT MADE THIS BEFORE IN YOUR SLOW COOKER, THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO WATCH THE TIME NEEDED. SO PLAN ON THIS FOR A DINNER FIRST BEFORE YOU COOK OVER NIGHT FOR A BREAKFAST. AT THE 4 HOUR MARK, INSERT A BUTTER KNIFE IN THE MIDDLE AND PULL OUT, IF CLEAN, THE EGGS ARE SET AND IT IS DONE, IF RUNNY EGGS, YOU NEED TO COOK MORE, ADJUST YOUR TIME AS NEEDED. I was hungry so I took two scoops out of the pot before I thought of taking the photo when the dish is done.
- Variations, you can figure this out as well, whatever you like in an omelet can go in here, think mushrooms, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, chilis, asparagus, etc. Serve with some toast and you have a meal.
- Two scoops in my bowl, ready for dinner. The peppers and onion are crunchy, excellent flavor overall.
Notes
Nothing expensive here, this is easily under $1.00 per person.
Shortcuts: Sausage, Breakfast Sausage.
